Mauritius Travel Guide

Social Conventions

Handshaking is the customary form of greeting. Visitors should respect the traditions of their hosts, particularly when visiting a private house. The type of hospitality the visitor receives is determined by the religion and social customs of the host, which are closely related. It is appropriate to give a gift as a small token of appreciation if invited for a meal. Dress is normally informal although men will need to wear a suit for particularly formal occasions.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

The national airline is Air Mauritius (MK) (website: www.airmauritius.com).

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Mauritius (MRU) (Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam), commonly referred to as Plaisance Airport (website: http://mauritius-airport.intnet.mu), is 48km (30 miles) southeast of Port Louis. To/from the airport: Taxis are available to the city (journey time - 45 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shops, banks/bureau de change, snack bar, post office, shops and car hire.

Getting There By Water

Main ports: Port Louis is primarily commercial but there is a limited passenger service to Madagascar, Réunion and Rodrigues Island; contact Mauritius Shipping Corporation (tel: 210 5994; website: www.mauritiusshipping.intnet.mu).

Cruise ships occasionally call at the island.

Duty Free

Overview

The following goods may be imported into Mauritius by persons 18 and over without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco products or 50 cigars.
• 1L of spirits and 2L of wine or beer.
• 250mL of eau de toilette and 100mL of perfume for personal use.

Restricted items: Vegetables, fruit, flowers, plants, bulbs and seeds must be declared (all require permit from the Ministry of Agriculture), as must firearms and ammunition. Imported animal products also require a permit and a health certificate from the country of origin.

Prohibited Imports

Sugarcane and related parts thereof, soil micro-organisms and invertebrate animals.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Air Mauritius (website: www.airmauritius.com) operates daily flights connecting Plaisance Airport and Rodrigues (flight time - 1 hour 15 minutes). Air Mauritius Helicopter offers transfers and sightseeing tours (tel: 603 3754; e-mail: helicopter@airmauritius.com).

Getting Around By Water

Coraline sails once a week to Rodrigues Island from Port Louis (tel: 210 5944 or 6120; website: www.mauritiusshipping.intnet.mu).

Getting Around By Road

One major highway runs north to south, otherwise a good network of paved, if sometimes narrow, roads cover the island. Traffic drives, erratically, on the left.

Coach/bus: Excellent and numerous bus services ply the island, The main three companies are the National Transport Corporation (NBC) (tel: 426 2938), United Bus Service (UBS) (tel: 212 2026) and Mauritius Bus Transport (MTB) (tel: 245 2539).

Taxi: These are regulated and metered and linked to provinces or hotels, printed on a yellow panel on the drivers’ door. Tips are not customary for taxi drivers, but appreciated.

Car hire: Numerous car hire firms include major international and independent firms.

Regulations: Drivers are required to be over 23 years old. Speed limits are 80kph (50mph) on the motorway and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. Seat belts must be worn.

Documentation: A foreign license is accepted.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

Bus and taxi services are best used in urban areas. Bicycles and motorbikes are also available for hire.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Port Louis to other major cities/towns/resorts in Mauritius.

	Road
Curepipe	0.20
Grand Baie, North	0.30
Mahebourg, Southeast	1.00
Flic-en-Flac, West	0.30